Raccoons will mess up a cat and many dogs. I would not risk my pets in that manner.
When I was a kid my uncle and a friend of his would go coon hunting. Those little furballs are tough animals. I only went a time or two and saw them give several hunting dogs a run for their money once Jim knocked them out of the tree. He said you had to let them catch on or two a season. Brutal type of hunting and not really my cup of tea.
Had a friend who lived out in the country on 45 acres. We were hunting partners as kids, but his wife shut us down when they moved there saying she liked the wildlife and didn't want us murdering them.
Well by year 3 she said kill every damn thing you can.
Tom declared his own personal Jihad on groundhogs, coon possums etc. Took him about 6 months, but he got them at least under control. A little savage o/u with a 22 mag and 20 gauge sat locked and loaded next to the door. Once they figured out the door opening meant trouble he had to go to the window.
City folk have no idea what these little terrorists can do. They dug up or ate every plant, raided the horse barn, dug holes everywhere and on and on.